What if I was broken?

"Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy." Micah 7:18

His question made me stop and think. It was a simple comment, but it instantly struck a chord in my heart.

I was cleaning out a kitchen cabinet, which had become cluttered with items that I rarely used. I was babysitting a child that I had taught swimming lessons to this past summer. One of the items to be thrown aways was an old broken can opener. I handed it to Mackenzie and asked her to throw it away, but instead of just tossing it into the trash can, she asked if she could keep it. Why in the world would a little girl want an old, dirty, useless can opener?

She continued to try to convince me that she needed to keep it, until I finally said, "Honey, it is broken, I don't want it or need it anymore, so throw it away please." Then came her question, "Well if I was broken, would you just throw me away?"

Huh? This conversation about a silly can opener had gotten way too complicated. I assured her that I would never throw her away, no matter what, because she was too valuable to me and her parents. I gave her a hug, and she skipped off into the bedroom to watch TV, while I stood there stunned, pondering her question.

I was reminded of a time when I was so broken, and felt dirty and useless. I remembered how a bad decision I made as a teenager caused me to spend years believing that I had no redeeming value in God's eyes. I recalled the regret that suffocated my heart for years, and how I felt God could never really love a sinner like me. I vividly remembered the overwhelming pain and regret of feeling broken, and void of worth, beauty or value.

But a smile came to my face as I remembered the day when God healed that brokenness. Sitting in the midst of my despair after a meeting with my counselor (an amazingly Godly woman), tears were pouring down my face. I begged God to forgive me for my sins. I felt God's presence and believed in His forgiveness. For the first time, I had heard His voice ring in the ears of my heart, reassuring me that I was way too valuable to be thrown away.

The following day I realized something was different. My past was still my past, but I was no longer broken. The damaged pieces of my heart were mended, and I set out on a wonderful journey to discover my worth in Gods eyes, not my own eyes. I believed that I really was too valuable to be thrown away, and that God not only could love someone like me, but that HE DID.

Are you feeling broken today? Do you see yourself as someone who God could not possibly love? Do you spend each day condemning yourself for past sins, current habits, damaged relationships, poor choices, or even self-harming behavior?

Do you wish you could stop feeling broken, or stop continuing a pattern of sin in your life, but simply do not know how? Do you ever feel like you are just too messed up to be "fixed"?

Despite what you may think, you are not beyond repair. You are nothing like that dirty, broken can opener. As a child of God, you are precious, beautiful, and yes, even more valuable than gold. Whatever your situation, God can mend that crushing feeling of hopelessness and brokenness.